1/5/26 O&A NYC HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALVIN AILEY!: Alvin Ailey 1985 Cairo Interview (Historic Stock Video Footage)

Today, January 5 is the 95th birthday of choreographer Alvin Ailey. O&A NYC shares rare video footage from a 1985 interview. The one-way dialogue between Alvin Ailey, founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater took place in Cairo, Egypt. (Note: We only hear Ailey’s answers; not questions asked). He talks about his life, his dance school, the motivational forces behind his choreography and theories of dance. Continue reading

12/26/25 O&A NYC DANCE BY WALTER RUTLEDGE: Cry – Deborah Manning

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In 1971, Alvin Ailey created Cry, one of his signature dance works, as a birthday present for his mother Lula Elizabeth Ailey. Ailey dedicated the ballet to “all black women everywhere — especially our mothers.” The three-part ballet, set to contemporary music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro and Chuck Griffin, depicts a woman’s journey through toil to an ecstatic state of grace. Cry premiered at New York City Center on May 4, 1971. Continue reading

12/19/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Judith Jamison and Donald Mckayle Cut A Rug on The Cosby Show

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You never know what what plot twist will lead to a history lesson on The Cosby Show. When Denise throws a little get-together, things take a wild turn as the older crowd (Judith Jamison Donald McKayle, Bill Cosby, and Phylicia Rashad) show the youngsters how to really party. A nice dance scene with cast members Lisa Bonet, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam,  Blair Underwood, and Gerard Cooper.

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12/14/25 O&A NYC THE WORD: Revelations – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Revelations was the tenth ballet by 29 year old emerging choreographer Alvin Ailey. The  work premiered in New York City on January 31, 1960, at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA. Revelations immediately captivated audiences with its powerful universal message of faith and resilience.  

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11/21/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Esplanade – Paul Taylor


An esplanade is an outdoor place to walk; in 1975 Paul Taylor, inspired by the sight of a girl running to catch a bus, created a masterwork based on pedestrian movement. Continue reading

11/18/25 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Debbie Allen Receives Honorary Oscar Award

The 16th Governors Awards presents Honorary Oscars to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Dolly Parton. The four Oscar® statuettes were presented at the Academy’s 16th Governors Awards on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, in Los Angeles. Continue reading

11/15/25 O&A NYC SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: Paul Taylor Dancemaker (1998)

A look at Paul Taylor (1930-2018) and his dance company over several months in 1997. Preparation of Taylor’s piece, Piazzolla Caldera, from conception and rehearsals to opening night at City Center, frames the film.

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11/14/25 O&A Shall We Dance Friday: Promethean Fire- Paul Taylor Dance Company

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Promethean Fire (2002) is danced to the music of three of Leopold Stokowski’s famous Bach transcriptions (Opus 116). The ensemble work is one of Paul Taylor’s six ballets set to the music of the baroque master. This excerpt is the first movement choreographed to the celebrated Toccata and Fugue in D minor.   Continue reading

11/12/25 O&A NYC WILDIN OUT WEDNESDAY: STORYBOARD P DANCING AT SADLER’S WELLS/ LONDON

In May of 2012 flexin/mutant performer and New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessies) winner Storyboard P was invited to perform at the Breakin Convention at the world renowned Sadler’s Well in London, England. It was this very performance that helped Storyboard P win this prestigious dance award. Continue reading

10/24/25 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: A. Piazzolla- Libertango


Libertango is a composition by tango composer Astor Piazzolla, recorded and published in 1974 in Milan. The title is a portmanteau merging “Libertad” (Spanish for liberty) and “Tango”, symbolizing Piazzolla’s break from Classical Tango to Tango Nuevo.  Continue reading